Korean Culture And Gender Roles

Nevertheless, Asian-American stars are recognized extremely played prototypical roles offered to them – model minority, sexualized the female or masculine women. There is much argument within the Asian American community whether to consider Liu as a protagonist or a hateful. In playing highlighting sexuality roles such as Ling Woo on Ally McBeal, a role who is a ‘self-described “tramp” … simultaneously addicted to casual sex and uses sex to have her way with men’ (Goldsea.com 2008). Is she bolstering the sexploitation of Asian females, or is she an Asian image who plays her strong points? Moreover, there are already some problems in the critical writing as to whether Liu is to be considered an action star or an actor. Some argues that, in Charlie’s Angels

Cultures around the world are divide by their distinctive characteristic of people, and how people interact within their society. Most cultures are driven by the way their environment has been set for them. Many of cultures have to adapt to the way their environment are due to the conditions that are set for them and the amount of resources that they are provided. The biggest drive for culture are the historical custom. Most countries continue to carry their ancestor custom so that the tradition may stay with them throughout their years, in which making other countries distinctive from one another. One of the particular country that will be discuss in this report is North Korea. In this report, I will be discussing the North Korean culture, with describing their living condition in the country, common issues that they face with on a daily bases, and common threat that they pose on other countries.

Although China’s influence over Korea has waned severely since the dynastic years we find the Confucian system of virtues and behaviors, China’s chief export from that time, still very much alive. Korea highly values the extended family, education, personal discipline and public order. In South Korea Confucian temples continue to be maintained throughout the country. The tenets of Confucianism are seen as antidotes to social ills and therefore education is thought of as a means of building character, not simply of intellectual formation. The values of Confucianism are promulgated throughout Korea in places as diverse as school, the office and the home. Television programs often portray Confucian merits such as filial piety and harmony. However

Good families have many ingredients that make them function properly. One of these elements is values, or what the family views as important. This helps family members know what is good and bad for them. The article “Celebrating Your Family Culture” states, “Around our household, we constantly say, ‘Well, in our family we believe…and everyone’s family is different.’ I’m sure my son gets tired of hearing this in response to why he can’t have the latest electronic gadget, but I also think hearing this anchors him. Kids want to know where you stand on important issues and what your family values,” (Trudeau). The article tells how even though the family values can annoy a member; it steadies them to know the priorities. Having that clear view can also have other effects on family members. When My Name was Keoko tells how Keoko or Sun-hee saw her uncle and mom value their patriotism. This helped her see that her own patriotism should be strong (Park 11, 32, 33, 93). The family values were very important when the Japanese invaded Korea. They were probably the only Korean thing the people of Korea had. Without them the Koreans would give up and never have their own culture again. Concluding, the values that families have are very

Family traditions are passed on from generation to generation, however they are not always static rules. Tradition is like a living organism that adapts to change over time. In order to understand modern North Korea’s family customs, it is important to consider the tradition of the past. Before North Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, North Korean families operated differently than they do today. Their ideology was founded on Confucius’s principles of family, including “only a country where family life was harmonious could be peaceful and prosperous” (Asia Society). The family is an integral part of society the same way a cell is important to a body (Suzy, 264). The government is even considered “one family” that everyone is a part of (Monday). Every individual in a family has a role and every family has a role in society. The ideal family is modeled from Kim Il Sung’s nuclear family (Suzy, 268). It is clear that family is a fundamental priority in North Korean society.

Parents are also much more strict on the children's education than then U.S parents. As stated by Eric, “Most Korean parents saw themselves as coaches, while American parents tended to act more like cheerleaders.” (pg.110) Parents in South Korea are more involved their children's education, while parents in the U.S are more involved in sports and clubs. Students in South Korea only focus on their education, they don't get involved with sports or any other activity that won't help their

I have not participated in any Korean extracurricular clubs because of the fact that I participate in many other clubs such as chess, health and fitness, code interactive, and board game club. However, I have participated in Ms. Kang's Movie nights in 9th grade. In these movie nights, we would watch Korean movies in order to expose us to Korean lifestyles and improve our ability to better listen to Korean. Through these movie nights I learned of the vast differences between Koreans and Americans. One very important difference being Korean’s importance in respect. Korean people are respectful to everyone they meet and are happy to do so. There are even two ways to talk in Korean that are considered respectful, those being informal polite and formal polite. In my everyday life I see Americans disrespect one another for the smallest things such as a little accidental push, or forgetting their name. However, in these movies I noticed how passionate and excited both are on their culture. Korean people become siblings in their Chuseok, just as Americans thank everyone and everything for their lives in Thanksgiving.

In both cultures the family is consider the core of social values, however the family central value for Chinese and Korean are the expression of responsibility, respect, sacrifice, and family harmony that regulates children’s attitudes and behavior towards family-based support (Wong, Yoo, and Stewart, 2006). In many other cultures such as the one I grew up in, adult children including grand children are taught the value and the need to take care of the elderly. For example, at age 15, I had a duty to wake my grand father and bathe him every morning, not only because it was our family responsibility to take care of him, but also because it was as it was pass down to us, a source of blessings taking care of elderly in

Cho refers another interviewee’s words “ South Korea is a ‘man’s society,’” this reflects the fact that many Korean-American males have gained the sense of masculine status that emasculated in American society. (Cho, 224) I agree with what the author thinks the main reason why many Korean-American males incline to stay longer in South Korea after their one-year English teaching contracts with the English institutions is because the high masculine status in the South Korean society. The Korean society makes Korean-American males feel more powerful in South Korea than in the United States, this can be considered as the basic element that consists and shapes the feeling of privilege to Korean American migrants in South

In Vietnam’s society, men have always been known as the ones who work outside the home and provide their incomes to the whole family. Therefore, they were expected to be the head of the family whose responsibilities were to manage finance and support wives and children’ life. On the other hand, women had to stay inside the house to do domestic tasks including taking care of parents, raising children and doing housework. To some extent, Vietnamese women were less degraded than male counterparts as they were considered to be dependent on their husbands. Females used to have to stay at home in order to fulfill their responsibilities to the family according to social belief while it seemed that males did not have to do homemaking duties but they still had the strong influence in the family, to their wives and children.

Confucianism heavily influenced East Asia’s family structures and principles. In general, when people think of families in East Asia, often their characteristics differ from thinking of families in Western Europe or America: people think that Western society emphasizes the values of individuals, while Eastern society emphasizes the values of family and group as a whole. The reason why East Asian family – definitely China, Korea, and somewhat Japan – put such an importance on family unity is because Confucius’ teachings emphasized harmony; Confucianism taught that being harmonious with their big family and others of society ultimately results in creating harmonious government and country. In Confucian family, individuals work for harmonious

The majority of Korean women seem to have come from lower-class worker and farmer families. Korean and other Asian women were assigned to lower-ranking soldiers, while Japanese and European women were reserved for higher-ranking officers (Watanabe). This obviously portrays the condescending attitude the Japanese had toward Koreans.

Confucianism was founded over two thousand years ago in China, and countries around, including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and many more others are influenced by the ideology. Among all, South Korea is one that still follows Confucianism, and the society is still strongly influenced by this philosophy. According to the Chair of Sungkyunkwan, one of the top institute in South Korea, “over eighty percent of Koreans follow Confucianism” (Choi). The number is even higher than its origin country, China. Even though the country is very modernized with western philosophy, religion, and advanced technology, the people of South Korea are still living a lifestyle that consists the idea of Confucianism. Confucian values impact South Korea on many different aspects, including, family, social relations, education and economics.

South Korea appears in the first quadrant of Figure 2.2 in which states that the country has a culture with relatively larger power distance and lower individualism. South Korea has a relatively large power distance due to the country’s strong emphasis in respecting for one’s elders and superiors. This cultural belief is deeply

Parent’s role in South Korea is taking care of their children until they get married. Children usually live with their parents until they are married, even if they are full grown adults. Parents are desperate attempt to give children an educational advantage, and grant them explore to a globalized worldview (in contrast with Korea's strictly homogenous culture and community), children are often sent to boarding schools abroad usually to the U.S., Canada and Australia, and family members strangely separated for many years.